Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-10-11
BACON OR SHAEESPEAREi
The Baconian Theory, and Some of the
Facts Advanced In Its support - Did
Francis Bacon Write ShakesueareY

Fac's AuSanceO ID AtS support - Did
Francis Bacon Write Shakespeare
The theory that Francis Bacon was
the man behind the scenes is not a
new one, although it has taken long
in forcing its way to the front, es-
pecially in Will Shakespeare's own
country.
DR.. Thompson, of Melbourne, points
out that the first to raise the question
was Horace Walpole, in bis "Historic
Doubts"
Mr.. Speeding, the writer of Bacon's
life, as early as February, 1852, print
ed q paper, "Who Wrote Shake.
speare's Henry VIlI.?" tracing signs
of two hands in the play. He was
followed by an anonymous writer in
Chambers's Edinburgh Journal who
for the first time discussed the cues
ton, "Who Wrote Shakespeare" and
arrived at the conclusion that William
Shakespeare kept a poet. Neither of
these writers suggested any claiman,
for the honors in Shakespeare's place.
1t was reserved for lady, an Am.
erican lady, Miss Della Bacon, four
years later, to first PROFOUND the theo-
~, in paper published in Putnam's
Magazine, III America, in 1856, that
Lord Bacon, her namesake by coinci-
dence, was the Shakespeare wanted.
Men stood aghast and sneered at her
in her own country. She came to
England to find all men and women
arrayed against her. She woman
fully adhered to and preached the be-
lief which had taken possession of her.
Some few people were convinced, but
her book fell dead. She returned to
her own country and soon afterward
died, disappointed and broken hearted.
In September, 1856, an English
man, Mr.. VIM. H. Smith, who had
not heard Of Miss Della Bacon, ap-
peared on the Geld with his pamphlet,
entitled, "Was Lord Bacon the Au-
thor of Shak-sp-are's Plays9" a let
ter to Lord Ellesmere, in which the
Baconian theory was plainly laid down
and maintained, and the next year
published a book on the subject
This book made q convert OF Lord
Palmerston.
In 1862 Judge Holmes, then re-
siding in St. Louis, in his book, "The
Authorship of Shakespeare" first
pointed out in print number of CO.
incidences or identities of thought
aud language between the two writer's.
Bacon and Shakespeare, and express
ed his clear opinion that Shakespeare,
as dra matist, could have been none
other than Bacon in disguise.
In 1881 Mr.. Appleton Morgan, q
lawyer, published at Cincinnati a
book, 1.-THE Shakespearean Myth" in
which he stated the strong circum-
stantial evidence against the Shake
spearean authorship Of the Plays.
His theory was that they were the
work of Lord Bacon, Sir Walter
Raleigh, and others.
The latest publications on the sub
ject have been by Mrs. Henry Pott.
The idea of the Baconian authorship
of the Plays OF Shakespeare present
ed Its If to her mind independently
about 20 years ago. The belief came
to her from the coincidence of her
equal taste for both the great authors.
Bacon and Shakespeare, and the fact
that the more she read them, the more
the Identities of the authors minds
and ideas protruded themselves from
their writings and impressed them
selves on her mind.
| Latterly the subject has been ex.
tensively discussed. Up to April
1854, no less than 255 books, pamph.
let's and articles had been published
on the subject, of which 70 were
English, l6l American, 10 Australian
four Scotch, three Canadian, two Ger
man, two French, one Indian, ons
Italian and one Dutch. This list will
soon he augmented in the publication
of "The Great Cryptogram," by Ig
natius Donnelly, who is recognized
day as the most eminent of thu
Baconians, and who makes the start
ling announcement that he has dis
covered in the Plays themselves, il
, the first collected edition of them, tn
, Folio of 1928 curiously infoldec
cipher narrative which he claims vii
forever settle the controversy.
Bacon was born in 1861, three year
before Shakespeare, at York House
Strand, son of Sir Nicholas Bacon
lord treasurer, and Lady Ann Bacon
! 1t is said that men are what thei
mothers make them. Lady Ann wa
the daughter of Sir Anthony Cooke
t tutor to Edward VI, q lady Of 81
: perior learning and attainments. Sh
was we'll read in the classics, CORES
pended with Archbishop Jewell i
!. Greek, and translated into Eng:is
! from the Italian some deep theologie
4 al works.
In boyhood, Bacon, intelligent be
- -..., oxt;h;te a.rly puic